Design Thinking

Design Thinking has gained popularity over the last few years. From classrooms to corporate boardrooms, Design Thinking is being used as a strategy to solve problems through tools to initiate creative ideas and solutions. Here’s a short four minute introduction to Design Thinking, and if you own a Fitbit or Apple watch, these guys were way ahead of them!

After watching that you may be thinking, ‘So, it all sounds and looks awesome, but how can I actually use it in my classroom (if you’re a teacher), in my folio (if you’re a student) or in a corporate boardroom? How can I actually facilitate Design Thinking?’ Design Thinking can be a great launching pad for innovative, creative ideas if you have the right tools.

To get started, here’s a free download of one of these tools (SCAMPER) below. At first SCAMPER can seem tricky, and can be difficult to explain, but with practice its a great way to begin thinking differently, particularly in the early stages of the design process.

Some people would argue that they’re not at all ‘creative’. And while its true that not everyone can draw like Da Vinci or have a mind that works like his did, Design Thinking tools really level the playing field, allowing anyone, regardless of their ability to think about solving problems in creative ways.

The video above mentioned that the design team iterated using simple materials like cardboard to build mock-up physical devices. Nintendo recently announced a similar approach… Quite literally!

Nintendo are clearly implementing Design Thinking in a fun way. They’ve also truly differentiated themselves from competitors in the entertainment industry through their creativity.

So when you’re next stuck for ideas, or are looking for a new way forward, start your process with Design Thinking.